Julienne Oyler

Africa hosts one-third of the world’s refugees and three-quarters of those who’ve had to relocate within their country because of conflict or climate change. While displacement in Africa grows annually, traditional models of humanitarian funding often fail to create sustainable paths to stability. Africa’s displaced communities can’t rely on humanitarian aid to live, let alone thrive.

On a visit to Rwanda, a country she now calls home, Julienne Oyler saw that the best ideas for solving the problems refugees face came from young refugees themselves—but too often they lacked the resources to pursue their plans. She co-founded Inkomoko in 2012 to support them. Inkomoko provides refugee entrepreneurs with direct access to capital—from $100 to $50,000,as well as capacity-building resources—so they can start or grow a small business. Entrepreneurship is a proven pathway out of extreme poverty; in particular, investments in young entrepreneurs create income for families while generating jobs. As the largest investor in refugees in Africa, Inkomoko has disbursed more than $14 million in capital to more than 50,000 entrepreneurs, unlocking refugee-led solutions while proving that displaced communities are viable economic markets.

More related to Julienne Oyler:

• Listen to Inkomoko’s podcast, Inkonversation

• Check out Inkomoko’s 10th-anniversary celebration via KT Press

• Hear an interview with Oyler on the podcast Startups and F*Ups